Rudy’s Pest Control, Bayer Fight Fire Ants at Calif. Park

Whitewater Park in Southern California received a donation of TopChoice fire ant control from Bayer Environmental Science and Rudy’s Pest Control, Pictured are representatives from the state of California Department of Food and Agriculture and Rudy's Pest Control (who did the actual application) and Bayer Environmental Science.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Whitewater Park in Southern California received a donation of TopChoice™ fire ant control from Bayer Environmental Science and Rudy’s Pest Control, a local pest control company.

TopChoice, approved by the state of California’s Department of Food and Agriculture, is a professionally-applied granular insecticide spread on grass and plant beds like fertilizer, and provides control of fire ants for a full year with a single application.

“With so many guests spending time in our parks each year, we can’t take chances with fire ants. We are excited to be able to provide a fire ant control treatment that lasts so long,” says Ruben Cirlos, building and landscaping maintenance supervisor for the City of Rancho Mirage. “Whitewater Park is the most used of all our public parks, and we want to make sure it is a pleasant and safe experience for every visitor.

“I’ve seen first hand how dangerous fire ants can be to people and pets. The City of Rancho Mirage wants Coachella Valley families to know there is a better way to help keep your loved ones safe from these dangerous pests,” says Cirlos.

Located in the center of the Coachella Valley, Whitewater Park consists of 8 ½ acres featuring tennis, basketball and racquetball courts as well as picnic areas, a playground and walking paths. The TopChoice application focused on the 6 ½ most utilized acres of the park.

For those living in southern California, these destructive pests are a relatively new nuisance. According to a joint study by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service Center and the University of Arkansas, the red imported fire ant will continue to make its way north and west into areas of the United States previously thought to be too cool for fire ant activity.

“Fire ants were first discovered in California in 1998 and are a particular issue in heavily-populated urban areas like Palm Desert, and where families spend a lot of time outdoors,” says Nick Grisafe, Bayer Environmental Science. “To protect kids and pets, grounds managers and homeowners should consider a professionally-applied preventative insecticide like TopChoice.”

Recent studies indicate that fire ants, which currently infest more than 325 million acres across the southern United States, sting more than 20 million adults and children each year. This number will continue to grow as fire ants move northward and westward. Studies also show that 10 to 15 percent of those stung by fire ants experience severe localized allergic reactions, with one to two percent experiencing dangerous systemic reactions that, in rare cases, result in death. Symptoms of fire ants stings that may require immediate medical attention include shortness of breath, thickening of the tongue, nausea, sweating, dizziness or chest pain.

“Within the first four to six weeks of a TopChoice application, ants unknowingly come in contact with the product and bring it back to contaminate and eliminate the rest of the mound in what is known as the “Domino Effect™,” says Grisafe. “Unlike temporary fixes, the Domino Effect means the entire ant colony is destroyed, not just surface ants. The product remains in the soil to prevent new colonies from forming.”

TopChoice is labeled for use on home lawns, commercial lawns, golf courses, sports fields, cemeteries, parks, school grounds and other recreational areas. It has been successfully used on tens of thousands of acres throughout the South including areas of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.